What Might Have Been
An interesting point from Ezra Klein:
And though this is a direct victory for Waxman, it’s a quiet triumph for Pelosi. Without her tacit support, Waxman’s campaign would have quietly died. Meanwhile, few in the House will forget that she tried to solve this problem months ago by letting Dingell remain at Energy and Commerce and creating a new Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Dingell fought her efforts, and managed to neuter the new committee. It has nothing more than an advisory role. But it’s now clear that what looked like a win for Dingell was actually prelude to a much larger loss. He not only loses jurisdiction over global warming, but over health care and most everything else.
Indeed. The Energy & Commerce Committee is very powerful, and even modulo climate change issues it would have been an extremely influential post with jurisdiction over, among other things, telecommunications policy. Indeed it’s a reminder that completely independent of the specifics of who chairs what, the general idea of separating the “energy” and “commerce” elements of the Energy & Commerce Committee is reasonably sound. In the real world, of course, it’s essentially impossible to change committee jurisdictions. But this is precisely how things wind up so out of whack in the first place. Everyone knows that the significance of telecommunications issues has changed a lot over the past 100 years but the committee rules stay the same.
23 Responses to “What Might Have Been”
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November 20th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Methinks you do not know what ‘modulo’ means. Even if used metaphorically and not mathematically.
November 20th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
“Meanwhile, few in the House will forget that she tried to solve this problem months ago by letting Dingell remain at Energy and Commerce and creating a new Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Dingell fought her efforts, and managed to neuter the new committee. It has nothing more than an advisory role. But it’s now clear that what looked like a win for Dingell was actually prelude to a much larger loss. He not only loses jurisdiction over global warming, but over health care and most everything else.”
One can understand Dingell’s rationale in playing it out from a hardline position. Seniority is rarely upended, and he just didn’t pick up which way the wind was blowing.
This really is a victory for Pelosi and Democrats in general. It was close, but it’s a victory nonetheless.
I thought Waxman was going to lose today, as did Dingell.
November 20th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Nice win for California also.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
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November 21st, 2008 at 12:23 am
Select committees intended to get around the committees with real jurisdiction never, ever work. Look at the Senate committee on Aging, which was intended to integrate health, long term care, pensions, social security, and other issues of concern to older people — issues already covered by HELP and finance. They’re still covered by HELP and finance.
There is no counterfactual here — Pelosi’s committee on the climate never had a chance under any chairman anywhere.
The Dingell-Waxman fight is really about the industries of Michigan versus the will of the Democratic caucus AND the desire of new members to move up without serving for 30 years. On the first, it’s no surprise that national interests trumped parochial ones. On the second, the democrats have added something like 50 new members over the past 2.1 years and most of them realize they’ll benefit by getting rid of seniority.
Dingell set against those forces his considerable good will in the caucus and the desire of some members to maintain a go-slow approach on climate legislation (and the appearance of democratic-conservatism more generally, though Dingell is an out-and-out radical on some issues). That was almost enough to win, but not quite.
November 21st, 2008 at 7:16 am
_I_ certainly didn’t know what “modulo” meant in this context. Having looked it up, I don’t feel improved as a person (and I tend to agree with Scott B). Why not just “aside from?”
Geekiness is great. Pointless, irritating jargoneering, not so much. Abstain, please.
S
November 21st, 2008 at 8:26 am
Am I a simple, starry-eyed naif to hope this means a subtle shift towards budding meritocracy, competence, and action-orientation even in those hallowed halls?
No one answer. Don’t disabuse me of my fantasy. Give a girl her dreams…
November 21st, 2008 at 9:31 am
Am I a simple, starry-eyed naif to hope this means a subtle shift towards budding meritocracy, competence, and action-orientation even in those hallowed halls?
Probably not! But it does mean that House Democrats want a serious energy bill.
November 21st, 2008 at 9:47 am
Matt should definitely have to put a buck in the incorrect use of pretentious vocabulary jar.
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